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Blogs
Welcome
Being one of OLC's classic storytelling tools, blogs are crafted by SFU Community members which include the everyday student as well as expert voices. This is where we share touching stories, resourceful advice, and insightful knowledge with each other. In keeping with the OLC vision, the following blogs are created by and for students, so why not contribute to the OLC today?
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INTERNATIONAL
Third year Business student, Corina Inigo, shares about her co-op experience with Teach and Learn in Korea (TaLK). She discusses what TaLK is all about and also shares personal anecdotes from her teaching experience.
Are you an international student that feels like there is a wall that stops you from moving forward? Are you trying to improve your language level, but feel embarrassed communicating in English? You're not the only one. But there are people who are reaching their goals. Find your inspiration and become one of them.
New to Vancouver? Discover 4 spots Lauretta discovered in her adventures around the city.
Jacky is a fourth year Business Student who spent his co-op in Beijing China. Read his interview to discover what his co-op abroad was like. Jacky covers preparing for the work term, work life, and living abroad.
Morgan Karugaba shares his journey of how he overcame the challenges of uncertainty, by stepping out of his comfort zone.
Still not sure if co-op is for you? Chetachi explains why co-op was such a valuable experience for her and what it was like to work in the corporate world during her Economics co-op work term.
“Gosh Roop! Are you really an international student? But you do not speak with an accent. Wow, I would have never guessed that.” Through anecdotes and introspection, Roop shares a compelling narrative of the struggles of why International students face challenges due to language barriers and biases.
There are a lot of things your international student friends have never told you. From depression to pressure to stereotypes - life isn't always easy when you are studying abroad. Read an international students take on life overseas.
Ever wonder how it would feel like being an international student in Vancouver? Talk about a reason to party, well coming from a Punjabi family we hardly need a reason to party but if there was ever a decent one, this was it. Read more to find out about Max Shyngs experience!
Who doesn’t love travelling? Summer is just around the corner and with that comes the time to make our travel plans a reality. Have you ever thought about travelling as a way to boost your career?
Nancy applied as an English instructor in South Korea with the intention of just adding another bulletpoint to their resume. However, the experiences they have gained from teaching and living abroad has made their co-op so much more meaningful than what can be written on paper. Read Nancy's story to learn more about Teach and Learn in Korea.
Mario Fong travelled to Hong Kong to join the HSBC trainee program through International Co-op. Dropping everything to live in a new country provided him with personal and professional experiences he won't soon forget.
Coming to a new country thousands of miles from where you grew up and from everything you know is no easy journey. In this award-winning story, SFU Business student Ali Najaf reflects on the past four years since arriving in Canada from Pakistan in 2012, sharing both his challenges and truimphs.
Being an international student at SFU is not easy as there aren't many opportunities to meet other students. The Global Student Centre welcomes all, hosting events that bring students together to celebrate diversity and create intercultural awareness.
A profile on international student and third year psychology major, Rainy Yumeng Jiang, and how community engagement and volunteering has helped her adjust to Canadian culture.
Learning how to effectively communicate in a new work environment can be difficult enough, but add a language barrier and things get even more complicated. Here are Julia's top tips for overcoming language barriers in the workplace.
"There's a phrase in Israel, "buckle up your elbows" which means that it's time to hustle. This is exactly what brought me to the place where I'm writing to you right now." -- read Kim's story and learn how you can achieve anything with enough courage and motivation.
As an undergraduate student, Spencer Chen excelled with a GPA of 4.21 and received numerous merit-based scholarships and awards. She also sought diverse research and community service opportunities to make meaningful contributions to the SFU community.
In this article, SFU Psychology graduate Ravi Bansal shares her experiences of participating in the Hellenic Studies Field School in Greece. Ravi’s travels encouraged her to become involved in the SFU community, opening up an opportunity to attend the Education without Borders conference in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Looking to maximize your time abroad and integrate with locals, but nervous to take the first few steps? Read on to learn how Kendra broke through their personal barriers, and the advice they have for future travellers to make the most of their work term overseas.
Changing Times: Stories to Inspire Hope and Resilience
Working from home is a common reality for many Co-op students in the past year. Working from home while working for a Health Authority in the thick of the pandemic is a tremendous experience Kaylla went through last year. Take a look at how she learned to stay productive in these uncertain times.
The Latest
Have you ever wondered how some people manage to do it all? In this interview, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology student, Eva Ang, offers tips on juggling work, school, volunteering and life.
If you are about to finish your undergraduate degree, you might be wondering if you should go to grad school. But how do you know if grad school is right for you? Srijani Datta, breaks it down.
While the decision to look for a job might come easily, getting a job that you really want might not. Looking for that perfect job can often be an arduous and protracted process. Learn how to financially survive those long weeks or months with these tips.
Looking for a great job can be taxing on your mind and body. Srijani Datta, shares tips on how to keep it together during a long and difficult job hunt.
As a student, food is literally my life. I wish I was joking but food is how I bond with friends, how I cope with exams and what I use to wake myself up in the morning.
Is talking on the phone nerve-wracking for you? You aren't alone. Katherine offers some tips on how to be a better communicator through the phone.
Recently graduated, Jien Hilario reflects back on university, career choices, convocation and her blog series I Am Able.
Studying does not have to be painful nor require enormous amounts of time and effort. Discover how to become a more efficient learner with these five unconventional study tips.
International Co-ops aren't the only way to submerge yourself in a culture. Gurleen shares her co-op experience through which she gained a new perspective of her culture right here in Vancouver.
If you’re steps away from graduating, read on to see how I prepared to make the post-graduation world less intimidating.
Having a goal allows us to take aim and move forward. Jien, shares lessons in goal-setting from Bo Sanchez's How to Conquer your Goliaths, and offers her own personal experiences of goal-setting and achieving.
Puneet Sran shares her experience from her most recent co-op with Verathon: "As someone who never imagined being an engineer, I have been extremely fortunate to work in such a technical field, among highly intelligent individuals".
Co-op is a learning experience. Learning experiences aren’t about the “Aha!” moments. They’re about how you get there – and carry yourself through awkward growing pains...
Success does not follow a linear path and neither will your career. Jien shares some fundamental lessons from "The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need.", while also reflecting on her own personal experiences learning these lessons.
A co-op semester at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) allowed International Studies student, William Reid, to learn more about Canada's relationship with Indigenous people. Read more, here.
Mental illness can affect anyone. If our society is to help end the stigma, the first step is to gain knowledge on the subject. This blog post connects readers with what it is like to have depression.
Part two of our “Depression in Universities” series brings us to how you and your university can support those who are working to overcome mental illness. Keep on reading to learn how you can help end the stigma with depression.
In today's global labour market, the ability to converse in a second language is an increasingly useful skill. Here, Jessica Tse shares some tips she learned as an international student from Hong Kong working in an English speaking environment.
How do you know if a job posting is legit? After applying to over 100 jobs, Jien has a few tips to help you decode that job posting.
The 2nd Annual SFU Indigenous Day at the SFU Burnaby campus was a huge success! Here is a recap of the event.
Applying for his first co-op placement, Business student, Jeffery Choi wanted a job that would be exciting and challenging, but more than anything, fulfilling. Looking for work with purpose, Jeff spent his first co-op as a Campaign Associate for the United Way of the Lower Mainland.
Criminology student, Rachel Tong shares how her volunteer experience helped her develop the marketing and community engagement skills necessary for a co-op position with Parent Support Services of BC.
Every culture has a custom or tradition that unites people. Knowing this, international student, Dasha Mezenina set out to interview SFU students from around the world to find out: what tradition unites your nation?
SFU is a multicultural university, and there are a lot of students here with a variety of cultural backgrounds. Learning something new from others can help us get to know the world, broaden our horizons, and breakdown damaging stereotypes.
We must acknowledge autonomy for Indigenous Students in an academic setting, we are not in your classes to teach them, and we are not able to speak on behalf of every Indigenous community.
When women return to the drum, this is when our nations begin to heal
The Q&A you never knew you needed… but you do. Answering commonly asked questions around the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Here is one perspective using Indigenous pedagogy.
Student life can be stressful. Here are tips for building resilience against stress from the SFU Public Square 2018 Community Summit, Brave New Work.
As students, trying to balance our sanity while passing our courses, how can we adapt to this fast changing world? Belle shares her thoughts on ideas presented at Building Your Resilience, part of the SFU Public Square 2018 Community Summit - Brave New Work.